With so many music-related books, albums and home videos released over the course of a year, it's easy to overlook some fine efforts. Below are some 2020 titles that are definitely worthy of attention...
BOOKS:
The Pilgrim: A Wall-to-Wall Odyssey
(BMG)
Over the past couple decades, Marty Stuart has become one of country music's chief archivists, taking a prominent role in helping to preserve the genre's legacy (you might have seen him provide context during Ken Burns' recent PBS documentary Country Music).
Stuart got his musical start in the 1970s as a teenage mandolinist playing in Lester Flatt's touring band. Then the singer/guitarist spent half of the Eighties in Johnny Cash's band and launched a solo career. Once the 1990s rolled around, Stuart finally notched several major country hits like "Hillbilly Rock," "Little Things," "Tempted," "Burn Me Down," "The Whiskey Ain't Workin'" and "This One's Gonna Hurt You" (both with Travis Tritt).
For 1999's compelling concept album The Pilgrim, Stuart wrote and sang about what he described as "a true story of an unbelievable romance that unfolded in my hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi when I was a kid. It’s a story of the power of love to overcome life’s darkest moments."
Cash, George Jones, Emmylou Harris, Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Earl Scruggs, Mike Campbell of the Heartbreakers, Pam Tillis, Connie Smith, Barry Beckett and others joined Stuart in the studio.
This striking 187-page, 11 x 10 1/2 coffee table book details the inspiration and process of making the album as well as other recording sessions and performances during that period. There are several vivid photographs by Stuart (a celebrated photographer) and Thomas B. Allen. Actor/musician Billy Bob Thornton provides a foreward to the book.
Meanwhile, the accompanying remastered CD features nearly a dozen alternate, unreleased and demo tracks. Among the highlights of all 30 songs are the twangy, shoulda-been-a-hit "Sometimes the Pleasure's Worth the Pain," "Red, Red Wine and Cheatin' Songs" (with Tillis), "Goin' Nowhere Fast," "The Greatest Love of All Time," a rousing "That'll Be Alright with Me," "Been Lonely Too Long" the affecting "Even Trains Have to Cry" which Stuart completed with current band The Fabulous Superlatives. Pilgrim engineeer Jamie Tate also provides background on the music restoration process. Definitely a must have for diehard Stuart fans.
Run-Out Groove: Inside Capitol's 1980s Hits and Stiffs - The Morrell Archives Vol. 4
In the latest installment of his memoir series, music industry veteran Morrell recalls his stint as album rock radio promotion man for Capitol Records during the decade when new wave and metal ruled the charts.
Often utilizing a humorous, freewheeling tone, he describes how he went from being a young Beatles fanatic who collected memorabilia and bootleg vinyl records to actually working in a prominent role at the label that released Fab Four material. As a result, Morrell helped promote John Lennon/Yoko Ono and Beatles catalog titles and then Paul McCartney's Press to Play and Flowers in the Dirt albums. A couple of Morrell's colorful bosses have sledgehammers or cattle prods on their desks.
Throughout the book's chapters, Morrell recites conference calls where the Capitol/EMI Records promotion men discussed the fates of various singles on the charts and what needed to be done to make them more successful. Some of the memorable artist anecdotes include: Duran Duran, Crowded House, Great White, Heart, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Seger, Donny Osmond, Graham Nash, the Plasmatics, Carole King, Ricky Nelson and Billy Vera.
DVD/BLU-RAY:
Live at the US Festival
(Shout! Factory)
Over the years, there have so few official home video releases containing complete performances from the legendary US Festivals that any new titles are a rare treat. Staged near San Bernardino, California in 1982-83, the concerts featured several name and up-and-coming rock, new wave, metal and country acts of the period. The B-52's appeared during the first festival's initial day on Sept. 3, 1982 alongside The Police, Talking Heads, Oingo Boingo, the English Beat, the Ramones and Gang of Four.
Prior to the event, the B-52's had previously released two moderately successful albums that garnered airplay on select college and then-nascent alternative radio (plus the dance/club charts) with the songs "Rock Lobster," "Planet Claire" and "Private Idaho."
The zany Athens, Georgia new wave quintet was in fine form during its 13-song, hour-long US Festival set. Original guitarist Ricky Wilson (who died in 1985) is a real firebrand onstage here and the additional of a two-man horn section really bolstered the sound. Co-lead singer Fred Schneider dances around a bit and mimics the original Woodstock with a "public service announcement." A run of uptempo songs toward the end of the performance - "52 Girls," "Dance This Mess Around," "Private Idaho," "Rock Lobster" and the wild closer "Strobe Light" really cook.
Brief latter-day interview snippets with members Schneider, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson are intercut the songs in the concert's first half.
(Shout! Factory)
The tragic death of INXS frontman Michael Hutchence in 1997 was a devastating loss to the music world. This intriguing documentary uses footage from the artist's past interviews and private home movies, plus insight from close associates, friends and family, to try and find a reason why Hutchence reportedly took his own life.
Writer/director Richard Lowenstein - who was INXS' go-to music video director, helming 16 of them for the Aussies - does a deft job at putting the pieces together. The film features footage of the band headlining Wembley Stadium gig in 1981 and the US Festival in 1983. Bono, Kylie Minogue, Helena Christensen and the INXS musicians provide welcome insight, including some things casual fans might not know, throughout.
Special features on the Blu-ray editions comprise Early Days (Hutchence and INXS on the band’s beginning), Acting (Huchence talks about growing up among on film sets of Hong Kong and his own film experiences), How To Make A Music Video, Prague and eight additional scenes.
BOX SETS
Elvis Costello & the Attractions/Armed Forces (UME) - Unreleased demos, song sketches, alternate takes, rare live tracks, complete Live at Hollywood High School 1978 concert audio and U.K. hit Costello singles from the gold-certified (U.S.) 1979 album: "Oliver's Army," "Accidents Will Happen."
John Lennon/Gimme Some Truth (UME) - Career solo compilation remixed in Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround sound on Blu-ray audio and 124-page book in select configurations.
Rolling Stones/Goat's Head Soup (UME) - The 1973 studio album in a new stereo mix, 5.1 surround and Dolby Atmos mix, rarities and the much sought-after '73 "Brussels Affair" show making its official bow on CD. Features the U.S. pop chart topper "Angie" and top 15 pop track "Heartbreaker."
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